


Blackout

by pillarboxred



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Sharing a Bed, Steggy Secret Santa, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-26 14:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17143841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pillarboxred/pseuds/pillarboxred
Summary: "And if they ask," Peggy was saying as she propelled them along, "we just tell them we're married and on our way home from a lovely dinner with friends.  No one's going to check into anything at this hour, so everyone's reputation stays nice and intact.  Simple, right?"Or, Steve and Peggy and a walk in the dark.





	Blackout

**Author's Note:**

  * For [evilythedwarf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilythedwarf/gifts).



> Happy Holidays! I thought you might like a little fake relationship/sharing a bed, hopefully this is all right.
> 
> This takes place during the Baby Blitz/Operation Steinbock of Jan-May 1944. Kings Road refers to the bombing of the Guinness Trust flats in Chelsea on February 23, 1944 in which 59 people were killed, half of the tenements destroyed, and the rest damaged. Fred, Miss Woolf, Lucky the dog, and Ursula are on loan from Kate Atkinson's absolutely brilliant novel Life After Life, and everything I know about ARP wardens comes from there. In the end all mistakes are totally mine.

"Here," said a voice in the dark. Peggy's voice, and then there was her arm sliding along his, coming to rest so that they were linked at the elbow.

"You sure it's all right?" Steve asked, as Peggy started to lead them away from the pub and the unit still in their cups and into the blackout.

"Is what all right?" 

"You know," Steve said, making a gesture with his hand only to stop when he realized that Peggy probably couldn't see it. Hell, _he_ could barely see it. "Us. Like this."

 _Alone together in the dark_ , he meant, but he couldn't say it. Nearly two years he'd known her and Peggy still had a special way of making him go tongue-tied sometimes.

"I suspect," Peggy said, sounding amused, "there's more to worry about up there than down here. Don't you think so?"

Steve knew that by _up there_ she meant the night sky and the _Luftwaffe_ lurking somewhere in it. There'd been bombs just the other day, took out several blocks. He and some of the others had assisted with the recovery effort, and he didn't like to think about the things he'd seen. Buildings reduced to rubble, their occupants twisted, scattered, beyond his or anyone's help. Next to that, the two of them being improper...well, it mattered, but not as much.

"Reckon so," Steve said, and he heard Peggy let out a snort of laughter.

" _Reckon_ ," she said, teasingly, and he could just picture the slight shake of her head.

"Ma'am," he added, with an exaggerated drawl, and Peggy laughed out loud. It wasn't ever something he'd heard much, her laughing like that, and he thought he'd like to hear it again.

"Yanks," she said, sounding almost fond, and she squeezed his arm slightly as they kept walking. The blackout was so black as to be almost impenetrable, clouds constantly shifting to block out the moon and stars, and Steve squeezed Peggy's arm back. He had the absurd idea that if he didn't keep hold of her she might float away into the night. She slid her fingers in between his and tucked herself into his side, and Steve breathed out what felt a lot like a sigh of relief.

They walked on for a ways in silence, holding onto each other and avoiding debris as best they could. Steve wasn't sure how long they'd been at it when Peggy said, "We could pretend we're married."

"If we come across anyone we don't know," she added, quickly. Steve couldn't say anything, the idea of them _marri_ e _d_ making his chest go tight. Marriage wasn't something he thought about, except when he did. Often. The two of them together, a place of their own to go back to that was warm and had every nice thing Peggy could want. Kids, eventually, if Peggy wanted that too. If it wasn't for Peggy keeping hold of him, then he might be the one floating away into the night.

"And if they ask," Peggy was saying as she propelled them along, "we just tell them we're married and on our way home from a lovely dinner with friends. No one's going to check into anything at this hour, so everyone's reputation stays nice and intact. Simple, right?"

"Right," Steve said, because it was simple.

He hoped they'd come across someone.

~*~

They did come across someone, or, to be exact, several someones. They'd managed to find an ARP wardens post situated beside a crumbling church, and the senior warden, a tiny older woman who answered to Miss Woolf and nothing else, was the most intimidating person he'd ever ran into that wasn't Peggy.

"Well you'll not be going any further tonight, I can tell you that," she said, as she stirred a cup of tea that had just been brought to her. She looked at them over the rim of her glasses. "Whole street's gone in that direction." She gestured right ahead, but all Steve could see beyond the dim light from Miss Woolf's lamp was black and flashes here and there that had to be the masked lights of the heavy rescue squad.

"When was it?" he asked, not looking away from the lights. He guessed that there were probably five to ten people out there searching in the rubble. 

"Few days ago," Miss Woolf said, quietly. Out of the corner of his eye he could see her looking at the lights too. "They're on recovery now."

"Oh," Steve said. It was all he could say at the moment. 

"How many?" he heard Peggy ask. Her voice was just as soft as Miss Woolf's. She tightened her grip on Steve's hand, and it might have been done unthinkingly, but all the same Steve tightened his grip on hers in return.

"Not many, thank God," Miss Woolf said. "Most of these here had the good sense to evacuate when they were told to."

"More like didn't want to try their luck twice," Peggy said, and Steve turned just in time to see Miss Woolf give a little nod and salute Peggy with her teacup.

"We can help," he said, the words out of his mouth almost before he'd even thought them. "With the recovery. If you need an extra set of hands, I...my wife and I-" he smiled a little, he couldn't help it "-we were at Kings Road."

"We didn't live there," he added, quickly, when he saw a pitying look start to form on Miss Woolf's face. "We went with our unit, did rescue and recovery same as those fellas. We know what needs doing."

Miss Woolf looked at him for a long time, leaning in close at one point to study his uniform. Steve stood up straighter and puffed his chest out.

"Well then," Miss Woolf said, eventually, sitting back in her chair. She sipped at her tea and then set her teacup down. "Didn't think they were sending you lot in, but if you know what you're doing like you say, then I won't say no. Lord knows we could use the help."

"Especially if it looks like you," she added, so softly that Steve didn't think he was meant to hear it. But he did, and he thought Peggy did too, because she squeezed his hand, and when he turned his head to look at her, she had a smile on her face that could only be called...satisfied. Steve felt his cheeks go hot, and he was glad for the dim light.

"Now I don't seem to have an extra light for you," Miss Woolf was saying as she rummaged through the clutter on the table in front of her. "But if you'll go with Fred…"

She called out the name, and a shape detached itself from the darkness, the light in front of it swaying as it drew closer. In the light from Miss Woolf's lamp, the shape resolved itself into the figure of a man. Fred, Steve assumed it was Fred, was about his age, and he was covered in brick dust and what Steve knew to be ash. He was exhausted. Steve knew that too.

"Go with Fred here," Miss Woolf said, already beginning to wave Steve off, "and he'll show you what needs doing. As for you, love…"

"Wait," Peggy said, as Steve started to move away and follow Fred. She grabbed his sleeve, pulled him toward her, and, pulling him in, pressed a kiss to his lips. It was gentle and soft and Steve's breath caught. It felt like the world narrowed down to just the two of them in that moment, and when Peggy broke away, it felt like that moment was over too soon.

"Be careful, darling," Peggy said, placing her hand on his chest. She left it there for a moment, small and warm even through the fabric of his uniform jacket, before lifting it and stepping back.

"Always," Steve said, and he sounded breathless, but he didn't care. Her voice calling him _darling_ echoed in his head, and he thought he could still feel the touch of her lips and her hand. Even if it was just play-acting, her doing all that, it was still...it was...it was good.

"I won't be long," he said, recollecting himself. He straightened to his full height, and with a nod at both Peggy and Miss Woolf, he turned away and started after Fred. He noticed Peggy shaking her head very slightly as he did it, but he thought, what with her smile, that it was all right. That he'd amused her, and he liked _that_.

"So how long you two been married for?" Fred asked, once they'd gone a few steps. Steve didn't stumble or anything from surprise, and he was proud of himself for it. He also didn't know what he was supposed to say. He and Peggy hadn't talked about that, and he didn't want to say one thing while Peggy said something different. Miss Woolf seemed like the type who'd ask, just like Fred had.

"Not long," Steve said, going for vague, figuring that was good enough. "We knew each other before but...we haven't been married for long."

That was true in a sense.

"She's real sweet on you," Fred said, and Steve did nearly stumble then.

 _You think so?_ popped right into his head, followed by _How can you tell?_ But he swallowed both questions down, telling himself that Peggy was just that good at acting. That no matter how much _he_ liked it and wanted it for real, she was just having fun.

 _That's all it is_ , he told himself. _Just fun._

He shoved the voice aside in his head that told him it might not be just fun. To get his mind on something else, he asked Fred about his girl and then he asked about what needed doing here and now. He'd focus on the work, he decided, instead of letting himself get carried away with hope.

~*~

They worked until the early morning hours. Steve cleared rubble with Fred and the others, and, thankfully, it was mostly rubble. They did recover some bodies, and it was just as terrible as it'd been at Kings Road, but here he hadn't had to be at it for hours. Most everyone who'd lived in the area had cleared out, just like Miss Woolf had said. They acquired a dog at some point, a rangy dirty fella they took to calling Lucky, but it had moved on by the time they decided to call a halt to things.

"That's the fastest we've ever been done," Fred said, sticking his hand out for Steve to shake. They were walking back toward the post, the light from Miss Woolf's lamps shining like a dim beacon. "Thank you, Captain."

"Glad I could help," Steve said, earnestly, as he shook Fred's hand. He didn't ask how Fred knew who he was. He wanted to. He wasn't bothered by it, but as far as anyone knew, Captain America wasn't married, and that part of being recognized bothered him. He didn't want to ruin Peggy's fun.

"You're welcome to stay at our post until morning," Fred said. "We've got a spare bed you and your wife could take."

"I don't…" Steve began to say, but then he stopped. He didn't need a bed, and he certainly didn't want to take the chance of a bed from someone else. But he knew it wasn't the same for Peggy, that she'd need the rest even if she wouldn't ever admit it. He just didn't know if she'd want to share a bed to keep up their ruse, and he didn't want to decide for her. 

"I'll have to ask her," he said, eventually. "See what she thinks."

"What about you?" he asked Fred. "You staying at the post or you got somewhere else?"

"There's nowhere else," said Fred. He didn't sound upset about it, though. "Ursula's aunt's in America so we're looking after the house until she decides to come back."

"Not a bad gig," Steve said, and Fred nodded.

"Not while it lasts anyway," Fred said, and, having seen the look on Steve's face, he added, "I've signed on. Imagine I'll ship out soon."

Steve couldn't say anything to that, _good luck_ feeling like it wouldn't mean anything, so he and Fred just shook hands again before parting ways at Miss Woolf's table.

"He's a good one, is Fred," he heard Miss Woolf say, but he was only looking at Peggy. She was standing at Miss Woolf's left, gazing at him.

"Yeah," Steve said, trying to figure out the expression on Peggy's face. She looked almost...maybe not happy, but...relieved, like she was glad he'd come back. Steve didn't understand that look, and it passed soon enough that he could decide it was a trick of the low light.

"They have a bed for us," Peggy said, after a moment. "It's at the post just beyond."

"Camp bed," Miss Woolf put in. "Very lucky. Most places it's just chairs."

 _A chair would be okay_ , Steve thought, but he didn't say it. A chair would be okay for him, but not for Peggy. They were going to have to share a bed. His heart beat a little faster at the idea. 

"Come along," Peggy said, stepping out and around Miss Woolf's table. She linked her arm with Steve's and after bidding Miss Woolf good night, began to lead him away.

"Thank you, ma'am," Steve called over his shoulder. Miss Woolf gave him a slight wave, and then picked up her teacup. Steve wondered, briefly, if it was the same one from earlier or if she'd had someone supplying her with fresh ones.

"What'd she have you doing?" he asked Peggy once they'd gotten out of earshot.

"Nothing terrible," Peggy said. "Matching names on lists, directing some of the stragglers toward the shelters."

"Buff folders," she added, and he could hear the smile in her voice at a private joke. He didn't press her about it. "And you, how was it?"

"Not bad," Steve said. "Wasn't like Kings Road."

Peggy squeezed his arm, and Steve, remembering that she'd been there too, squeezed hers back.

It was a short walk to the post, and they got inside without any difficulty, despite the interior being almost as dark as the night outside.

"Okay?" Steve asked, catching Peggy by the waist as she tripped over something neither one of them could see.

"Quite," she said, but it didn't sound unkind, and she didn't let go of him as they felt their way over to the camp bed. Turned out it was small, and narrow, and Steve wasn't sure how well both of them would fit on it. Let alone sleep.

But he didn't say anything, not with the soft snores coming from some corner or other. He just sat down and thought about whether or not he ought to take his shoes off. He considered asking Peggy about it, but he decided it'd be ridiculous of him doing that. He left them on and started to lie down, positioning his arms so they'd be a pillow for him.

That changed, though, when Peggy settled into the space beside him.

"If you don't mind," she said, her voice just loud enough for him to hear it, "could you turn to your right? I think we'll fit that way."

"Sure thing," Steve said, shifting so that he was on his right side, his arm tucked under his head. He lay there, stiff as a board, while Peggy got herself comfortable. She ended up pressed right up against him, her head and her back and her...backside touching him, and Steve wasn't sure he was breathing good when she tangled her feet with his. He knew he wasn't when she reached back and, finding his hand, linked their pinky fingers together.

"Thank you," she breathed out.

"It was all right, then?" 

"More than," Peggy said, and it was a long, long moment before she asked, "Don't suppose you'd be up for it again?"

"Again?" Steve asked, not sure he'd heard her right.

"Well," Peggy said, "should visit my mum while I'm still in country. She might like it if I had a...fella."

"A fella, huh?" Steve asked, and he felt Peggy nod her head.

"A nice, big one," she said, and Steve couldn't help but smile. "We'll have to practice some more, you know."

"Practice?" Steve turned his head.

"Yes, practice," Peggy said. "We'd be there for much longer than a night. And it's my mum, not the ARP wardens. We'll have to be perfect."

"That is," Peggy added, while Steve was still thinking about _practice_ and what all that might entail, "if you're up for it."

She started to slide her hand away from Steve's and that was enough to startle him out of his thoughts. He tightened his grip and said, a little breathlessly, "Anything to help."

He heard Peggy let out a breath of laughter, and she moved her hand back, twining their fingers together.

"Such a good boy," she said, sounding pleased. Steve felt a thrill run through him. "We'll start practice in the morning then."

Steve swallowed, that thrill threatening to grow bigger, brighter.

"Sounds good to me," he eventually managed to get out.

"Goodnight, darling," Peggy said. She squeezed his hand. Steve wondered if her calling him that was her practicing early and whether he ought to think of a name for her. Except, he thought she'd probably hate being called anything other than Peggy. And the thing was she wasn't anything other than Peggy. 

"Goodnight, Pegs," he said, trying that on to see how it felt. It didn't feel too bad, and he heard her laugh again so maybe it was all right. He could try more in the morning, when the sun came up. Practice, and so on. He squeezed Peggy's hand, and then he settled in to try to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! These two were a lot of fun, I might do the sequel at Peggy's mum's? <3
> 
>  
> 
> [tumblr](http://thebane-hawk.tumblr.com)


End file.
